Synopsis

The episode starts with SpongeBob getting ready for the day, as it is the day where he decides to apply for a job at the Krusty Krab. Before going to the restaurant, he lifts a weight with stuffed animals on the sides to warm himself up. SpongeBob starts jogging to the Krusty Krab while Patrick encourages him at his rock.

SpongeBob starts talking about what he's going to do when he reaches the Krusty Krab, but in the end decides he's not ready. However, Patrick stops him, encouraging him that he was born to have the job. SpongeBob eventually decides to go to the Krusty Krab to get the job. Squidward sees SpongeBob running to the restaurant, making him panic and tell Mr. Krabs to watch out for SpongeBob.

"ANCHOVIES!"

SpongeBob has already arrived though, and tries to get Mr. Krabs to give him the job. He tells Mr. Krabs Squidward will vouch for him, but Squidward tells Mr. Krabs, somewhat away from the sponge, that he doesn't believe SpongeBob should get the job. Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob that if he gets a hydrodynamic spatula, he'll get the job. SpongeBob quickly runs to the Barg'N-Mart to get it, as Squidward and Mr. Krabs laugh.

Sea of Anchovies

A couple of buses filled with anchovies arrive at the restaurant, making Squidward and Mr. Krabs panic as the latter knows what happens where anchovies come. As the anchovies flood the restaurant, Squidward tries to get them settled, but that only angers them more. It seems as though the two are finished due to the flood of anchovies, but SpongeBob comes right on time with his hydrodynamic spatula. SpongeBob goes into the kitchen to cook many Krabby Patties and tosses them to all the hungry anchovies until they all get satisfied and leave the restaurant.

Mr. Krabs decides to hire SpongeBob as fry cook due to bringing him lots of cash, much to the dismay of Squidward. The episode ends with Patrick asking for an order, causing SpongeBob to cook many Krabby Patties and toss them all at him, flinging him out of the restaurant.

Production

Early sketches

Size Comparison Chart

The Original SpongeBob cast as shown in Steve Hillenburg's pitch bible.

Original Storyboard of Patrick convincing "SpongeBoy" to go to get the job in the Krusty Krab.

Hillenburg's original idea for the pitch was that the writers would write a storyboard for a possible episode and pitch it to Nickelodeon.[5] One of the original ideas was to write an episode with SpongeBob and Squidward on a road trip, inspired by the 1989 film Powwow Highway.[5] Even though the idea would later be substantially developed, Hillenburg gave up on the storyboard idea for the initial pitch.[5] The crew resurrected the road trip idea during the first season and used a many of their original ideas for the episode "Pizza Delivery."[5]

Original storyboard drawn 1997 and was titled "SpongeBoy Ahoy!"

Originally the character was to be named "SpongeBoy", and the show SpongeBoy Ahoy![6][7] However, the Nickelodeon legal department discovered that the name "SpongeBoy" was already trademarked for a mop product.[6][8] This was discovered after voice acting for the original seven-minute pilot was recorded in 1997.[6] Upon finding this out, Hillenburg decided that the character's given name still had to contain "Sponge" so viewers would not take the character to be a block of anthropomorphic cheese. (Characters in-universe would remark on his somewhat cheese-like appearance in "Band Geeks" and "What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?"). Hillenburg ultimately decided to name the character "SpongeBob." He chose "SquarePants" as a family name, as it referred to the character's square shape, and it had a "nice ring to it." Despite the early renaming, SpongeBob would be called SpongeBoy in a few episodes such as "Squeaky Boots" and "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!"[9]

In an interview with Cyma Zarghami, she told "their [Nickelodeon executives'] immediate reaction was to see it again, both because they liked it and it was unlike anything they had ever seen before."[10] Hillenburg said the character construction in the episode was loose, but the character development was already "pretty strong."[11] Cavna rewatched the episode in 2009 and said "so much of the style and polish are already in place."[12][12]

Stephen Hillenburg and Derek Drymon were having dinner and came up with the idea for "Help Wanted" based on an experience Hillenburg had in the Boy Scouts.[5] Hillenburg and writer Tim Hill worked it into an outline.[5] In 1997, while pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, Stephen Hillenburg donned a Hawaiian shirt, brought along an "underwater terrarium with models of the characters," and Hawaiian music to set the theme. The setup was described by Nick executive Eric Coleman as "pretty amazing."[13] When given money and two weeks to write the pilot episode "Help Wanted", Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, and Nick Jennings returned with – described by Nickelodeon official Albie Hecht – "a performance [I] wish [I] had on tape."[14] Although described as stressful by executive producer Derek Drymon, the pitch went "very well;" Kevin Kay and Hecht had to step outside because they were "exhausted from laughing," making the cartoonists worried.[14] With help from Tim Hill and art director Nick Jennings, Hillenburg finished the pitch and sold SpongeBob SquarePants to Nickelodeon.[5] Drymon said, "the network approved it—so we were ready to go."[5]

Differences from the rest of the series

The pilot episode was made and recorded in 1997, so it has many differences to the rest of the series. However, the original version of the episode had many other minor differences corrected later. For example, this and a few other early episodes have SpongeBob's bed on the right, while the rest of series proper has it on the left; this is also the only episode where his blanket is solid blue, as opposed to purple with flowers.

Differences in voices are another example. SpongeBob's voice is slightly lower, and Patrick's voice is even deeper than the one he would have going forward. The designs and colors for characters are also different:

Squidward with pale cyan skin, and Mr. Krabs with light red eyelids

SpongeBob has fewer holes than he does in other episodes. He also looks a slightly fatter, and his shoes are slightly larger. SpongeBob's walking is not accompanied by any sound effects.

Mr. Krabs' eyelids are bright pink as opposed to the same shade of red as the rest of his body.

Patrick's pants are a slightly different shade of green, not to mention he looks slightly chubbier.

Squidward's complexion is paler, his laugh is different, the comedic "splat" sound is different, and his nose does not puff in and out when he laughs.

Gary's eye pupils are red dots and his irises are smaller, and he has a higher, somewhat squeakier tone of voice in the "meow" that sounds a little closer to an actual cat's meow; Tom Kenny claims to use a new "meow" for each episode where Gary is shown meowing, and the recording of this episode was much more removed from the rest of the series than consecutive episodes, even across different seasons, are from each other, explaining the more consistent "meow" throughout the rest of the series.

Squidward appears to have rows of bamboo poles behind his house, as in the concept art.

There is only one window in the front of SpongeBob's house. This was a feature of some other early episodes, such as "Boating School," but after 1999, it is almost always depicted with multiple windows on the front.

Mr. Krabs' office is on the right side of the Krusty Krab as opposed to its position the left for the duration of the series. In one shot, there is nothing visually to suggest there was a door in the usual location at all. It is unknown if this is an error, or a change made later in the show's production.

The original 1997 version uses a different intro with SpongeBob Action Theme. It plays after Patrick says, "Go SpongeBob." The more familiar intro was used when the series officially aired.

"It's hard to believe that when we started work on this maybe a dozen people knew what a "SpongeBob" was. I fell in love with the characters and drawings at first sight. "Havin[sic] a Wonderful Time" by Tiny Tim is one of the greatest songs ever recorded - (sorry, Beatles!)"

Trivia

General

This is the only season 1 episode not featured on the Complete First Season DVD and The First And Second Seasons DVD, due to copyright issues with the song "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" by Tiny Tim, which is played during the episode. However, on the German DVD release of Season 1, the episode is actually included.[16]

This is the only episode to be produced in 1997.

The beginning of the episode, in which SpongeBob says, "Today's the big day, Gary," can be seen on a TV in the 2002 comedy film Orange County.

The French narrator is the first character to speak in the series.

It is revealed that SpongeBob's first words were "May I take your order?"

It is also revealed that SpongeBob built a spatula out of toothpicks in the wood shop.

SpongeBob states that he has been training his whole life to join the Krusty Crew. These aspirations are further manifest in the episode "Friend or Foe."

This episode was finished in 1997, but did not air until May 1, 1999, because the cast wanted to change various things. Similar stretches of time between production of pilot episodes and their premiere on television are somewhat regular.[18]

The end credits for the 1997 and 1999 versions of "Help Wanted" have several differences including:

In the cast credits in the 1997 version, Bill Fagerbakke's name is misspelled as "Bill Fabberbakke."

In the cast credits in the 1997 version, Patrick Star's name is misspelled as "Partick Star."

Gary the Snail is not credited in the 1997 version.

In the credits in the 1997 version, Erik Wiese's name is misspelled as "Erik Weise."

Near the ending of the 1997 version, instead of the United Plankton Pictures, Inc. logo being displayed, there is a logo with the "Created By" text above, the SpongeBob sketch drawing in the middle, and the "Stephen Hillenburg" text below. This is due to the fact that the United Plankton Pictures, Inc. company did not exist during the production of the 1997 version.

At the ending of the 1997 version, there is an early Nicktoons logo that has a small and short copyright notice with a production date of 1997. The ending of the 1999 version has a more detailed and prolonged copyright notice with a production date of 1999.

Cast credits of "Help Wanted" 1997 version.

Cast credits of "Help Wanted" 1999 version.

A rare early logo used in the ending of the original 1997 version of "Help Wanted," before United Plankton Pictures, Inc. was created.

The United Plankton Pictures, Inc. logo used in the ending of the 1999 version of "Help Wanted."

In a video called "Firsts from the First Episode" uploaded by the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel, the song "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is replaced with "12th Street Rag 3."[19] According to Derek Drymon, this is because Nickelodeon did not want to pay Tiny Tim's estate for the rights yet another time.[20]

For unknown reasons, "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is actually played in another video called "Krusty Krab Pizza 🍕 + BONUS Music Moments," uploaded by the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel.[21]

In the Latin American version of that video, called "Primero Primero," the song was replaced with "Greenhorn Rag."

This episode's title is different in other dubs of the show.

In the Croatian dub, this episode is called "Tražimo Kuhara," which translates to "We are Looking for the Fry Cook."

In the French dub, this episode is called "Bienvenue à bord," which translates to "Welcome Aboard."

In the Italian dub, the episode is called ''Cercasi Aiuto'' which translates to ''Wanted Help''.

Errors

Should be written as "Stephen Hillenburg"

Stephen Hillenburg's name in the "Written By" section of the opening credits is misspelled as "Stephen Hilleburg," missing the "N" in his surname.

When Patrick says, "Who's ready?," his eyelids are pink instead of purple.

Red collar error

The last time SpongeBob says, "I'm ready!" his collar turns red.

The same is true in the final shot of making Krabby Patties for the anchovies.

After Squidward looks back to see SpongeBob, the arrow in the graffiti is gone.

When SpongeBob walks inside the Krusty Krab and says, "I've been waiting my entire life to join the Krusty Krab crew!," the Krusty Krab's lights are off, but when he says, "And now I'm ready," the lights are on. However, the storyboards show this could've been done on purpose.

When Mr. Krabs and Squidward hit the pole, a frame of what looks like the alternate or inverted background for the credits appear.